Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

GGCATAGCCGGCACAGCACTT---AGCCTGCTTATTCGCGCAGAACTAGGACAACCAGGCACCCTCCTGGGAGAC---GACCAAATCTATAATGTAATCGTTACAGCCCATGCCTTCGTTATAATCTTTTTTATAGTAATGCCCATTATAATTGGCGGCTTCGGAAACTGACTAGTCCCACTTATA---ATCGGAGCCCCGGACATAGCATTTCCCCGCATAAACAACATAAGCTTCTGACTCCTTCCACCCTCCTTCCTCCTCTTACTAGCCTCCTCCACTGTAGAGGCCGGAGCTGGCACAGGATGAACCGTTTATCCCCCTCTAGCCGGCAACCTCGCCCATGCCGGTGCATCAGTAGACCTG---GCCATTTTTTCCCTACACCTGGCAGGTGTATCTTCCATCCTAGGGGCTATTAACTTCATTACCACCATCATCAACATAAAACCCCCCGCACTATCACAGTATCAAACACCCTTATTTGTATGATCCGTCCTTATCACTGCCATCCTACTGCTCCTCTCCCTTCCCGTCTTAGCTGCT---GGTATTACAATGCTACTCACTGACCGCAACCTAAACACTTCATTCTTCGACCCCGCTGGAGGAGGAGACCCAGTCCTATACCAACACCTATTCTGATTTTTCGGACACCCTGAAGTTTATATCCTCATCCTCCCA-- end --

IUCN Red List Assessment

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

It is a rotund bird, with a light brown back, grey breast and buff belly. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings.

This is a seed-eating species, but the young in particular take insects as an essential protein supply. The call is a three-syllable ka-chu-chu.

Adult red-legged partridges are sandy-brown above, pinkish-buff on the belly, and pale grey on the breast, with a prominent gorget of black streaking, bold rufous and black flank-bars, a cream throat, pink legs, and a red bill and eye ring.

The crown and upper nape of adult red-legged partridge are a warm pinkish-brown; the fore crown and lateral edges of the crown are pale blue-grey, and the bird has a narrow off-white supercilium running from above the lores to the sides of the lower nape. The lores have a solid bar of black feathering above a patch of pinkish-red skin. This black colouration continues behind the eye, where it broadens, and then extends down around the throat-patch to meet the upper edge of the gorget. There is a patch of pale buff-brown feathering on the ear-coverts, adjoining the black. The eye is surrounded by a bright red eye-ring.

The chin and upper throat are creamy-white, and are bordered behind and below by a solid black gorget. The black colour continues down onto the lower throat as a patch of broad triangular black streaks on a pale sandy-grey background. Similar, but narrower, black streaks are present on a pale blue-grey background on the upper neck-sides, while the lower neck-sides are warm pinkish-brown. The breast is pale blue-grey, and the belly pinkish-buff. The flanks are marked with bold bright rufous-brown bars, typically between eight and ten; each bar has a narrow black leading edge, the background colour is off-white in front of each bar, and pale grey behind. The upper parts are plain, unmarked dark sandy-grey. The uppertail-coverts are similar in colour, and contrast with the pinkish-rufous tail-feathers.

The bill is bright red, the iris is medium brown, and the legs are pinkish-red.

Many red-legged partridges are kept and bred in captivity in New Zealand aviaries where the population is considered secure at the moment. These particular birds are all descendants from one of the last attempts at introducing the species to the wild by the (Auckland) Acclimatisation Society.

A consignment of 1500 eggs were sent from the United Kingdom in July 1980. However the boxes were delayed by two days and had evidently over-heated en route. There was further delay getting the eggs through customs and quarantine clearance. By the time they reached Massey University (which had been invested in to take on the project) hopes were not high and only 135 chicks were hatched. Two further consignments totaling 638 eggs were sent mid 1981. From these only 53 chicks hatched. The plan was to rear these birds and put them through six breeding cycles in two years using controlled lighting and thus establish a substantial breeding nucleus. The programme at Massey was soon terminated and all the birds dispersed to other breeders, primarily the game farm at Te Ahoha which had already produced some young, but some were also given to the Wildlife Service. At the end of 1983 breeding season the population had increased to 940 birds.[2]

The current actual status of wild, self-sustaining red-legged partridges in New Zealand is questionable. Back-yard aviculturalists and gamebird breeders/preserves hold most of the population. Some zoos and farm-parks exhibit this species. It is not frequently eaten by the public.